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Fan-favorite Jackson works hard for success
Alan Jackson performs at the BOK Center on Saturday. D.Baron Media/Courtesy
By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
Published: 11/1/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/1/2009 5:35 AM
George Strait may rule the roost when it comes to the traditional country genre, but Alan Jackson runs a close second. The blockbuster musician blends honkytonk with traditional country music and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide in his career.
All he's ever done is work — and work his connections — with spectacular success. He was a mail clerk for The Nashville Network in the '80s, and a chance meeting between his wife, Denise, and Glen Campbell at an airport helped him get signed to Arista Records as its flagship country artist.
His first single, "Blue Blooded Woman" only hit No. 45 on Billboard's country charts way back in 1989.
Boy, how things have changed. Since then, Jackson has charted more than 33 No. 1 hits, and more than 50 of his tunes have cracked the top 30. The former mechanic, used-car salesman and forklift operator wrote or co-wrote all of them, using his blue-collar background as a colorful palette for his music, including songs "Good Time," "Small Town Southern Man," "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Chasin' that Neon Rainbow," "Midnight in Montgomery," "Chattahoochee," "Remember When" and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."
In 2001, his tribute to the 9/11 tragedy, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," earned Jackson his first Grammy award. It also won the Country Music Association's song of the year and single of the year awards. He's also not afraid to speak out for his beliefs, and in 2000 he boycotted the CMAs when his idol George Jones was asked to
trim his performance to 90 seconds. He followed that with a collaboration with Strait that criticized the business, called "Murder on Music Row."
His fans only loved him more. Maybe it's irony, but at the 2002 CMA awards, Jackson earned a near-record-breaking 10 nominations. (The second highest ever, behind Strait.)
Always emphasizing the original, Jackson's not afraid to mix up a classic, either. He's taken on songs by superstars Eddie Cochran, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr., Charley Pride and even Conway Twitty.
Most recently, Nashville celebrated its songwriters for two straight nights. Alan Jackson was named Songwriter of the Year by ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
He also joins the ranks of country greats Dolly Parton, George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Rogers and Ricky Skaggs, who all have exclusive lines of music and other goodies sold exclusively through the Cracker Barrel national restaurant chain.
Alan Jackson
with opener Gloriana
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: BoK Center, 200 S.
Denver ave.
Tickets: $69.75 and $49.75,
plus fees, available at the Bok
Center Box office, online at
tulsaworld.com/Bok, by calling
(866) 726-5287 and at area
Reasor’s locations.
online: tulsaworld.com/Bok
Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com
By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
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